Baht bus rip off

[bands]

Hi we've been coming to pattaya for 15 years plus . The baht bus has served us well till this year . But over 8 times in the last 2 weeks we've been kicked off the bus ( in a quite aggressive manner ) as the driver explaines the bus stop here ( only a few hundred yards after we got on ) he expects us to pay ( which we did ) and then we have to get another bus to get a bit further ( we're only talking the beech road Second road circuit) . Effectively there splitting the route up so instead of it costing 10 bt pp to get say half way round the circuit it's now costing up to 40 bt pp

 

it not really the cost it's the attitude and aggressive actions ( hitting the window hard shouting  off now off now etc ) 

 

we we stopped hiring motorbikes due to the consistent targeting of Falang at checkpoints (,we always make sure we're legal) now the baht busses are at it . 

 

Think we've had enough of Thailand now . Next year we will go else where .

[OMGImInPattaya]

Another sure sign of the "downhill" tragectory of Pattaya...by this time next year, I expect the place to be a ghost-town. 

[pegman]

This is unusual. Between living and visiting there I have about 4 years of daily baht bus travel experience and can say that seldom happens. In high season you get Russian families hi-jacking your ride into a private taxi to the pier. Once  it took me 3 buses to get to North Pattaya but that is out of 100's of trips. I am away right now  so not sure what the cause would be. A few hundred yards I'm not paying.

[peeba7]

Streak of bad luck I'd say.  The only problem I have with BB's is when they won't stop to pick us up.  OK maybe not the only one.

[onemorechang]

1 hour ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Another sure sign of the "downhill" tragectory of Pattaya...by this time next year, I expect the place to be a ghost-town. 

 

That would just be so cool. 

 

[alocacoc]

This happen to me too. I wanted from the Beachroad to Jomtien, or at least close to Walking Street where i take another bus. The driver stopped a few hundred meters before WS and told me to leave. Then he continued his tour.

 

No idea why. But i guess, some of them suffer under mental issues.

[pgt99]

Think driving around in circles all day would drive anyone mad.

[OMGImInPattaya]

7 minutes ago, pgt99 said:

Think driving around in circles all day would drive anyone mad.

You forgot to add "and inhaling diesel fumes"  

Edited September 22, 2016 by OMGImInPattaya

[Rimmer]

An off topic post and reply has been removed

[sandgroper2]

4 hours ago, OMGImInPattaya said:

Another sure sign of the "downhill" tragectory of Pattaya...by this time next year, I expect the place to be a ghost-town. 

If it means that all the miserable negative moaners leave, that will be great.

[SOTIRIOS]

...don't you know....they never get enough.....

 

...and we are to blame for all their ills....

 

 

[1FinickyOne]

Geez, another ten baht down the drain... maybe if not pleased with baht busses it might be better to spring for a higher class of service.. sometimes in life we get what we pay for...

 

and you said...

 

"Think we've had enough of Thailand now . Next year we will go else where ." 

 

Maybe try another part of Thailand - after so many years here, you must know that there is more than Pattaya and it is not very representative of the rest of the country... or maybe not - once your impression of Thailand hinges on baht bus drivers, maybe better to try elsewhere. Your frustrations are bound to increase.

[Emster23]

I've lived in Jomtien around ten years. There have been times, maybe 4 or 5, when driver got a better offer, aka charter, and had me get off. They were never rude about it (perhaps because I understood they're just trying to make a baht). Often flagged down another baht bus. Never asked for a satang, although I did pay once because I was almost home and could use a bit of exercise anyway.

 I've had my share or rude drivers, as has anyone who has lived here for any time. It can't be easy doing their job with so many chowder fools that pass through.

[fforest1]

Hey OP moaner 

 

Why dont you move to Phuket you can pay 300 Baht for a short ride

down the street....

 

Pattaya Baht buses are about the worlds cheapest transport except for

maybe India...

If you want 5 star service then your ass will be paying 5 star rates...

[chicowoodduck]

It is always a crap shoot....I always expect the best and get the worst.....just part of living in Lieland....?

[Kabula]

Up to you.....

 

Never judge a baht bus driver until you spent a week or two driving a baht bus!

 

Too much competition; the fare is to low and the traffic is a parking lot much of the time with cheap, drunk, some criminals and hostile passengers!

 

As I recall, a NY city taxi starts off at $20! And, after a few blocks the fare jumps to $30.  10 baht looks mighty cheap....too cheap.  I've been here for ten years and they never got a raise unless they charge for going to the bus station or private service.

[alofthailand]

Yeah well-at the price you will have to take the rough with the smooth.

[Jingthing]

I can only report my own experience.

I haven't noticed any recent spike in the kind of incidents the O.P. reports.

In the past, I've noticed more of that kind of thing in the high season (not now).

 

Some details:

 

-- Occasionally, I've had drivers kick people off the bus and ask them to get into another specific bus. It's not always clear why they are doing this when it doesn't involve picking up a charter. Never been charged a fare by drivers doing that.

 

A few times that's happened I've pushed the fare on the driver because I was about to get off anyway because God is watching (just kidding about the God part). They generally fight me doing that ... which you've got to admit is a warm and fuzzy story about some baht bus drivers!

 

-- South on beach road towards Walking street. 

It's fairly common for drivers to turn off fairly significantly before Walking street and rudely kicking people off, yes expecting fares.

But I've never felt paying for that was unfair, probably because I got the bus much further north.

 

-- Coming from Jomtien, if the driver turns at Pattaya Tai, yes you must pay the 10 baht even if you wanted to go much further.

The fare is still 10 baht as far as Pattaya Klang. After that many drivers will expect 20 baht coming from Jomtien.

 

-- Very rarely, in high season, I have experienced drivers kick everyone off the bus at Pattaya Tai even when still heading north from Jomtien or they will say, 20 baht if you stay on. This is rogue rare bad behavior. Hasn't happened to me in a very long time.

 

Not EVER have I had to pay a 10 baht fare for a very short ride when the driver terminates the service, for whatever reason, including picking up a charter going off direction. 

 

 

Edited September 22, 2016 by Jingthing

[kg1947]

Pattaya Baht Bus is still the best deal around Thailand , compared

to Phuket , Koh Samui , Koh Samet , other BIG cities like Chiang Mai .

Other good deals in Khon Kaen 06:00am to 18:00pm and Korat .

The rest - you're at the mercy of Moto Taxi , Tuk-Tuk , official Taxi 

whose meter is : NO WORK ... , etc.

 

[wpcoe]

1 hour ago, Kabula said:

As I recall, a NY city taxi starts off at $20! And, after a few blocks the fare jumps to $30.  10 baht looks mighty cheap....too cheap.  I've been here for ten years and they never got a raise unless they charge for going to the bus station or private service.

 

Well, not quite.  In New York City:

 

• Onscreen rate is ‘Rate #01 – Standard City Rate.’
• The initial charge is $2.50.
• Plus 50 cents per 1/5 mile or 50 cents per 60 seconds in slow traffic or when the vehicle is stopped.
• In moving traffic on Manhattan streets, the meter should “click” approximately every four downtown blocks, or one block going cross-town (East-West).
• There is a 50-cent MTA State Surcharge for all trips that end in New York City or Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange or Putnam Counties.
• There is a 30-cent Improvement Surcharge. 
• There is a daily 50-cent surcharge from 8pm to 6am.
• There is a $1 surcharge from 4pm to 8pm on weekdays, excluding holidays.

  source:  http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/passenger/taxicab_rate.shtml

[Gillyflower]

3 hours ago, fforest1 said:

Hey OP moaner 

 

Why dont you move to Phuket you can pay 300 Baht for a short ride

down the street....

 

Pattaya Baht buses are about the worlds cheapest transport except for

maybe India...

If you want 5 star service then your ass will be paying 5 star rates...

 

What's the price got to do with it?  He was talking about their rudeness.  I'm glad you don't drive a Baht Bus!.

[ericthai]

8 hours ago, sandgroper2 said:

If it means that all the miserable negative moaners leave, that will be great.

Stop dreaming...they will never leave they live to complain about everything!

[how241]

It's still GREAT living here !!!

[sandgroper2]

1 hour ago, ericthai said:

Stop dreaming...they will never leave they live to complain about everything!

Nearly agree with you, exception is "they live", should read "they exist".

[jonnodon]

All you who go on about the price of Baht Bus transportation better listen up and understand.

this mode of transport is designed for the general population.

i and you know it's inexpensive, but to the Thais it's reasonable and that's the point.

anything in this place that's essential for the Thais is cheap as the bottled water etc.

we get the benefit of this.

but anything non essential cost heaps.

dont come at me or anyone about complaining about 10 baht.

these Thais are robbing us when there are no Thais on board we are generally told

ride over when in fact it's not.

so if you walked into 7/11 and were the only customer and were asked for 50 baht for a bottle of water you bleeding hearts would happily pay up.

for Christ sake can't you see the rip off, run the bus to the finishing point and charge the correct price.

[Jingthing]

There really isn't any official "finishing" point that's formally enforced.

A bus coming from Jomtien will usually go as far as Klang but may turn at Pattaya Tai and more often may turn at Klang.

A southbound bus will usually go as far as Walking street, but sometimes will turn off before then and often they will kick people off at Walking street even if you want to go a bit further towards 2nd road (turn). 

Going into Jomtien, usually they'll go as far as Chayaphreuk. 

I don't think it's especially racial. Everyone is worth 10 baht for the bus, but charter rides are more lucrative. 

I think the problems presented here are rather exaggerated. 

[jonnodon]

I know there is no official finishing point but as I said. Some of these drivers

finish when the last Thai gets off, thus making up their own rules and taking

no regard to we farangs.

this is the rip off that's being perpetrated.

The cost as I said is inconsequential it's dirt cheap, but remains so only for the

benefit of the average Thai.

its the inconvenience of disrupting the trip that irks me, when you know that theres

only one way for the bus to go and your told to get off.

[pegman]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There really isn't any official "finishing" point that's formally enforced.

A bus coming from Jomtien will usually go as far as Klang but may turn at Pattaya Tai and more often may turn at Klang.

A southbound bus will usually go as far as Walking street, but sometimes will turn off before then and often they will kick people off at Walking street even if you want to go a bit further towards 2nd road (turn). 

Going into Jomtien, usually they'll go as far as Chayaphreuk. 

I don't think it's especially racial. Everyone is worth 10 baht for the bus, but charter rides are more lucrative. 

I think the problems presented here are rather exaggerated. 

It's my understanding that the Jomtien/2nd Rd route turns west at Pattaya North Rd. My experience is that >80% do although some will continue on Naklua Rd to the Seafood Market. That may be because they recognize me from other trips to there. Sometimes I get the feeling some of the drivers know where I'm going before I do. 

It's been 7 years since I stayed on Jomtien  Soi 19 but at that time about  more than half the baht buses when to Na Jomtien on Jomtien Beach Rd. I think you are right this has lessened since then. 

[pegman]

8 hours ago, jonnodon said:

All you who go on about the price of Baht Bus transportation better listen up and understand.

this mode of transport is designed for the general population.

i and you know it's inexpensive, but to the Thais it's reasonable and that's the point.

anything in this place that's essential for the Thais is cheap as the bottled water etc.

we get the benefit of this.

but anything non essential cost heaps.

dont come at me or anyone about complaining about 10 baht.

these Thais are robbing us when there are no Thais on board we are generally told

ride over when in fact it's not.

so if you walked into 7/11 and were the only customer and were asked for 50 baht for a bottle of water you bleeding hearts would happily pay up.

for Christ sake can't you see the rip off, run the bus to the finishing point and charge the correct price.

Your nit right it is not reasonable for most Thais. In fact for a Thai making 300b for a 12 hour day the equivalent in wages for my old job would be over $10can for that bus ride. Not reasonable at all. Yet someone was on here recently saying it should be upped to 15b. Boggles the mind how people of a certain country, or evil empire,  only think of their own circumstances.

Edited September 23, 2016 by pegman
Autocorrect mistake

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, jonnodon said:

I know there is no official finishing point but as I said. Some of these drivers

finish when the last Thai gets off, thus making up their own rules and taking

no regard to we farangs.

this is the rip off that's being perpetrated.

The cost as I said is inconsequential it's dirt cheap, but remains so only for the

benefit of the average Thai.

its the inconvenience of disrupting the trip that irks me, when you know that theres

only one way for the bus to go and your told to get off.

I have no reason to doubt your personal experience, but in my personal experience "when the last THAI gets off" is not generally a factor. Cheers.